Little Darlings (novel) facts for kids
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| Author | Jacqueline Wilson |
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| Illustrator | Nick Sharratt |
| Cover artist | Nick Sharratt |
| Genre | Children's, Romance, Comedy, Adventure, Mystery |
| Pages | 310pp (1st edition hardback) |
Little Darlings is a popular children's book written by the famous British author Jacqueline Wilson. It was first published in 2010.
Contents
Story Summary
The book is about two girls, Destiny and Sunset, who discover they are half-sisters. Their dad is a famous rock star named Danny Kilman.
Destiny's Life
Destiny lives with her mum, Kate, on an estate called Bilefield in Manchester. Destiny is Danny Kilman's daughter from a brief relationship with a fan. Kate is a dreamer and tries to make the best of things.
Sunset's Life
Sunset is Danny Kilman's older daughter from his marriage to Suzy. She doesn't enjoy being famous and wishes for a more normal life, unlike her busy family.
Meeting Their Dad
For Destiny's eleventh birthday, Kate plans a special trip. They go to London for the movie premiere of "Milky Star," where Danny Kilman has a small part. Kate hopes they can meet him and tell him Destiny is his daughter. The plan doesn't quite work, but Sunset notices them.
Kate and Destiny end up stranded in London overnight. They decide to find Danny's home, Robin Hill. Destiny bravely climbs over the fence and meets Sunset in the garden. The two girls quickly become friends. Sunset believes Destiny's story about them being sisters. However, Sunset's mum, Suzy, finds them and makes Destiny and Kate leave.
Talent Show Time
After returning home, Destiny goes to school. Her teacher, Mr. Roberts, announces an end-of-year talent show called "Bilefield's Got Talent." Destiny decides to sing Danny Kilman's song "Destiny," which she was named after. Mr. Roberts thinks she's the best act and puts her on last.
Sunset's Efforts
Sunset tries to tell her dad, Danny, that Destiny is his daughter. But Danny insists it's a lie to get money and attention. To make up for this, Sunset finds Destiny's address using a Danny Kilman fan website. She sends Destiny a letter and a cool leather jacket.
Family Drama
Later, at a big birthday party for Sweetie, Sunset's younger sister, Suzy and Danny have a big argument. Danny leaves with an actress named Lizzie, who Sunset calls "Big Mouth."
Talent Show Success
At the first practice for the talent show, student judges mark Destiny very low. This is because she's new and not part of the local groups. But at the evening show, the teachers are the judges. Destiny wins first place! She sends Sunset a DVD of her performance.
Kate's Secret
The next day, Kate tells Destiny why she's been so keen for Danny to know about Destiny. Kate is worried she might be ill and wants to make sure Destiny will be cared for if something bad happens. Destiny insists Kate sees a doctor. They find out Kate has a thyroid problem.
A New Opportunity
Danny returns home with his manager, Rose-May. They talk about Sweetie starting her career early. Sweetie could be on a TV show called "Little Darlings," which features talented children of celebrities. The show's producer, Debs, visits to see if Sweetie can sing. But Sweetie loses her first tooth and starts crying. Debs decides Sweetie is too young for TV.
As Debs is about to leave, Sunset remembers Destiny's DVD. She shows it to Debs. Destiny looks a lot like Danny and has an amazing singing voice. This convinces Danny, Rose-May, and Debs that Destiny is Danny's daughter. They decide to use this as a way to get good publicity for Danny, especially after his recent bad press with Lizzie "Big Mouth."
Reunion
Debs contacts Destiny and Kate and offers them a chance to be on "Little Darlings" and meet Danny. Destiny accepts, and they travel to London. They film Destiny reuniting with Danny, and she finally gets to see Sunset again.
Main Characters
- Destiny Williams/Kilman – She is the daughter of Danny and Kate. Destiny is a very talented singer and knows all her dad's songs. She tries to act tough, but when her mum gets sick, she learns to show her feelings. Destiny is very loyal and caring. She feels like something is missing in her life until she meets Sunset, and they become very close friends.
- Sunset Kilman – She is the daughter of Danny and Suzy. Sunset is six months younger than Destiny and the older sister of Ace and Sweetie. She doesn't like being part of a famous family and wishes for a normal life. She looks like her dad, with dark curly hair and a big nose. Sunset is also a good songwriter. She feels insecure because of what others say about her. She trusts Destiny deeply, and they form a very special bond. Sunset is sensitive and kind, and she really needs a good friend.
- Danny Kilman – He is a rock star and the father of Destiny, Sunset, Sweetie, and Ace. He doesn't know Destiny is his daughter until later in the book. He shows affection to Sunset when cameras are around, but in private, he often tells her he wishes she was more like Sweetie.
- Kate Williams – She is Destiny's mum. Kate believes Danny, Sunset, and Destiny should have met a long time ago. She is very imaginative and tries to stay positive, even when they have to move to a difficult area. Kate is gentle and caring. She wants Destiny to have the best childhood possible. She gives Destiny lots of love, which helps them through tough times, especially when Kate gets sick.
- Suzy Kilman – She is Danny's wife and the mum of Sunset, Sweetie, and Ace. She used to be a model. Suzy is going through a tough time in the book. She doesn't always appreciate Sunset and gets very upset when Sunset talks about Destiny to Danny. Suzy sometimes tells Sunset she is too big and stops her from eating sweets. Over time, she starts to accept Sunset more.
- Sweetie Kilman – She is the daughter of Suzy and Danny, and Sunset's younger sister. She is described as small, blonde, and very pretty. She has known how to model since she was a toddler. Sweetie sometimes teases Sunset, saying she is the pretty one. But when their family faces sadness, Sweetie relies on Sunset for support and shows her love.
- Ace Kilman – He is the son of Suzy and Danny, and Sunset's baby brother. He loves to dress up in a tiger costume and be called Tigerman. Ace is an innocent little boy. During emotional times, he also turns to his sister Sunset for comfort and care.
- Claudia – She is the posh nanny for Sunset, Sweetie, and Ace. Sunset is the only one who really likes her. Claudia buys Sunset a notebook to write her songs in. At first, the children aren't very close to her. But when family problems force her to leave, she shows a lot of understanding and kindness, especially towards Sunset.
- Rose-May – She is Danny's strict manager.
- Barkie – She is Danny's fan club manager. Her real name is Jane Smith. Sunset describes "Barkie" as very nice and always smiling. She is optimistic and funny, but also sensitive to the sadness in the house.
- Jack Myers – He is a close friend of Destiny. It is hinted that he likes Destiny. He hugs Destiny when she wins the evening performance. Like Destiny, he tries to act tough, but when Destiny faces difficulties, he shows her support and affection.
- Angel Thomas – She is Destiny's rival at school and is not very nice to Destiny. Angel comes second in the competition and wins the afternoon performance. Angel is very confident. While her actions might be strong, her bravery and temper can lead her to do things she might regret. She doesn't apologize, but over time, she starts to leave Destiny alone.
- Mr. Roberts – He is Destiny's teacher and is in charge of the talent show. He can be firm sometimes, but he cares for Destiny when she succeeds. He even gets a little emotional after her beautiful singing.
- Lizzie Shaw (also known as Big Mouth) – She is Danny's new girlfriend. He met her at the "Milky Star" premiere. Lizzie is an actress who is also in the film. Sunset, Sweetie, and Ace all dislike her, and Suzy dislikes her even more because she is very protective of Danny.
